Spritsail Winter 2017

Reminisce- defined by Webster – “is one of several English verbs starting with re- that mean “to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind.” Others in this group include remember, recall, remind, and recollect. Reminisce distinguishes itself from the others by implying a casual recalling of experiences long past, often with a sense of nostalgia.”

How appropriate a word for the vintage images by Donald Fish often published in the weekly Falmouth Enterprise.
In the winter edition of Spritsail there is an interesting article about Donald Fish,

The Man Behind the Vintage Falmouth Photographs. Mr. Fish has a connection to our library, he is an uncle of Carrie Aiken, Circulation Assistant, and also part-time Circulation Assistant and freelance writer, Christine Lynch, wrote the article about him in Spritsail:
Mr. Fish has some very early connections to the town: he is a descendant of one of Falmouth’s earliest residents, Jonathan Hatch, for whom Hatchville is named, and on his mother’s side, a descendant of William Parker, who arrived on the Mayflower. Perhaps this lineage has some bearing on Mr. Fish’s interest in old photos!

As a youngster growing up in Falmouth, he and his friends would often scour the town dump for bottles to turn in for change. Often they would come across inexpensive box cameras that had been tossed out. Mr. Fish managed to put together a working camera from the discarded parts and so began an avid interest in photography only interrupted by his service in World War II. A self-taught artist he purchased a good quality 35-mm camera and dabbled in moving pictures.
No longer interested in scouring the town dump, Mr. Fish started hunting for historical photographic treasures at yard sales, flea markets and second hand shops. A mentor from the Falmouth Historical Society, Lewis H. Lawrence, encouraged Donald and allow him access to the Society’s archive room.

Mr. Fish estimates his collection to be a “couple of thousands” photographs and stereoscopic slides!
Having designed a personal filing system for his collection, it allows him to find particular images in moments!

Mr. Fish was honored with the prestigious Falmouth Historical Society’s Heritage award in 2015, which “recognizes individuals or organizations who have provided outstanding leadership over time to help preserve the character, culture, stories, vistas or other aspects of Falmouth’s rich history, or have inspired others to do so, resulting in a lasting legacy. “
He hopes to keep his collection privately owned but available for public display and print media.
You can find the winter 2017 edition of Spritsail in the Local History section of the Reference Department at Call # REF LocHist 974 SPR v.31 no.1 Win 2017.